Wood Pellets

[RHM]

I’ve been a avid shavings user for a seriously long time but my current mare is filthy! Currently getting through a ton of shavings now that they are in more and so considering using something more absorbent. How to wood pellets shape up in comparison and do they go brown and look a bit dirty? I do like a clean whitish bed if possible!

 

[HappyHollyDays]

A white wood pellet base such as Platinum Plus with shavings on top is a good combination. The wee is absorbed leaving just poo to be skipped out. I generally use two bags of pellets and two bales of shavings per month for my messy gelding and he is now in overnight.

Edit to add I previously had him on Aubiose which is super efficient for absorption but I didn’t find it cosy enough for winter.

 

[Goldenstar]

We use straw pellets under big flake shavings for our dirty wet horse the difference is enormous we are saving masses of shavings .

 

[doodle]

Used to use wood pellets where I worked. I hated them. They always seemed dark and dirty and got dusty. Seemed to be constantly topping them up too. perhaps if we had been allowed to give much deeper beds it would have been better.

 

[honetpot]

This going to sound really sad, but I did a weighed comparison between wood pellets and straw pellets.
For 100g of pellets, Pure which are a very white fine crumb, held 100mls water and they were sodden, £5.50 a 15kg bag. They go a dark cream when wet.
Straw pellets, both Concorde and Sundown 100g pellets, held 150mls water to make sodden, so you could squeeze the water out. Sundown £5.50 15kg bag. The downside is they are a sludgy brown colour, the Sundown are a slightly bigger crumb and fluff up quicker, but hold as much water.
Cheap wood pellets, that I use mainly for the cat litter, made out of recycled wood, couldn't even hold 100mls water.
I use pellets under a bale of chipped flax or straw.

 

[PurBee]

Im in the same camp - getting through 2-3 bales of shaving a week for 2 horses - i now skip out the wet patches daily, as with a semi-deep bed system i was using just as much shavings, but they were getting mixed into the wetter layer underneath so daily skip means a cleaner bed.

im going to put pellets underneath the shavings and skip out wet daily. Their laying down and getting up causes it to be mixed somewhat but pellets are way more absorbant than shavings.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

PurBee the pellets work better if you leave them and dig out weekly rather than disturbing them daily. They go dark red when they are saturated and need to be removed.

 

[Nicnac]

Changed from Hunters shavings to Concorde straw pellets this winter and am a convert. Yes the bed is a dirty brown sandy colour but the savings in terms of money and time far outweigh the need for a white bed! I muck out poo daily but only do the wet once a week. It is soooo easy.

One of mine is grey and a filthy boy in the stable; the pellet "dust" just brushes out so not an issue. His respiratory function has also improved now he's not on shavings.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

I use an unbranded bag of wood pellets for just one wee patch. I put down 1/4 bag a week in the wee spot. Then a bag of shavings a week to keep it looking fresh. When I was on jusy shavings I’d get through 4 bags a week just to keep her dry as she would trample the wet everywhere! Now I take poo out every day and then the wet corner once a week and put new pellets down.

 

[brighteyes]

I have a very wet mare and the difference in bed size, cost, mucking out and smell since I chucked a £4.02 15kg (?) bag down, dry, only in her usual weeing spot, is unbelievable. Wet comes out once a week and I put down half a Stable Choice shavings instead of 1.5 of them. NO smell and the pellets aren't always all used up and hold water impressively.

 

[RHM]

Fab, thanks so much for your thoughts guys! Seems like a mixture is the way to go! Is there a particular brand which is the best to get?

 

[RHM]

This going to sound really sad, but I did a weighed comparison between wood pellets and straw pellets.
For 100g of pellets, Pure which are a very white fine crumb, held 100mls water and they were sodden, £5.50 a 15kg bag. They go a dark cream when wet.
Straw pellets, both Concorde and Sundown 100g pellets, held 150mls water to make sodden, so you could squeeze the water out. Sundown £5.50 15kg bag. The downside is they are a sludgy brown colour, the Sundown are a slightly bigger crumb and fluff up quicker, but hold as much water.
Cheap wood pellets, that I use mainly for the cat litter, made out of recycled wood, couldn't even hold 100mls water.
I use pellets under a bale of chipped flax or straw.

Love that you did that! Really useful comparison, thank you!

 

[HufflyPuffly]

For speed and cleanness I used white horse unbranded pellets. For the beds to look ‘nicer’ I use shavings on top to give banks and make it look fluffier.

For the dirtier of my two she uses two bags of pellets a week and I put one bale of shavings down every two weeks.

 

[poiuytrewq]

This going to sound really sad, but I did a weighed comparison between wood pellets and straw pellets.
For 100g of pellets, Pure which are a very white fine crumb, held 100mls water and they were sodden, £5.50 a 15kg bag. They go a dark cream when wet.
Straw pellets, both Concorde and Sundown 100g pellets, held 150mls water to make sodden, so you could squeeze the water out. Sundown £5.50 15kg bag. The downside is they are a sludgy brown colour, the Sundown are a slightly bigger crumb and fluff up quicker, but hold as much water.
Cheap wood pellets, that I use mainly for the cat litter, made out of recycled wood, couldn't even hold 100mls water.
I use pellets under a bale of chipped flax or straw.

Not sad at all! Very interesting actually!
Ive been using straw pellets on one bed for about a month. I hated it at first, I still say I hate it but it’s my easiest stable to muck out, never smells and is just so easy. I’m interested that some brands make different size bits. I feel slightly that the ones I’m using a a bit dusty- the company said it’s not dust it’s small particle and that it doesn’t hang in the air like dust. Not sure I’m convinced (and that’s my slight gripe with them) Maybe I’ll try a different brand.

 

[honetpot]

The Sundown smell more like straw, and when dry are slightly less dark. I did the test because I bought a whole pallet of Concorde, and they took ages to fluff out, and then the local feed store started selling Sundown, they also sell the wood pellets, and I wondered if I had made a huge mistake. I wouldn't buy the Concorde pellets again, if something wees on them, and they are new down it just sits there.

 

[NinjaPony]

I use bed max shavings, with a big scoop of aqua max pellets underneath on the wet patch. I take out the wet patch daily and replace it, I’ve been saving on shavings like this and the bed is cleaner.

 

[poiuytrewq]

The Sundown smell more like straw, and when dry are slightly less dark. I did the test because I bought a whole pallet of Concorde, and they took ages to fluff out, and then the local feed store started selling Sundown, they also sell the wood pellets, and I wondered if I had made a huge mistake. I wouldn't buy the Concorde pellets again, if something wees on them, and they are new down it just sits there.

It’s Concorde I bought. I was gutted at first, they are ok now bar the particle size and colour but I’d absolutely try something better!
I’ll look up Sundown stockists

 

[poiuytrewq]

Just googled Sundown and see they are called Sun-E-bed which very conveniently I noticed at the local shop a few weeks ago! Result

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

I find only pellets a bit harsh for the winter, but in summer, it”s brilliant. Hardly any waste. Currently I’m using them to absorb the rain which is flooding my soaked stable (yo is on the case) so it’s a flood defence barrier! I also use them under the pee patch with Hunters on top. I got a pallet too and keep taking them from home to the yard.

 

[HashRouge]

I'm using them under straw for my 2 oldies - so absorbant and no smell! Mine are only in on wet nights as one is prone to mud rash, but it keeps their beds so much nicer.